Improvement in rotary engines



' Patented March 18, 1873.

S m R m 0 m H m V m P. M m

m W M w Rotary-Engines.

3 Sheets--Sheet 2.

W. P. EAYBS.

Rotary-Engines.

Patented March18,1873.

Attorneys AM PHUTU'LITHO GRAPHIC 00. IV- KI USBURNEIQ PROCESS) WINSLOWP. EAYRS, OF

PATENT QFFIGE.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HIS RIGHT TO T. E. STEWART,OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 136,981, dated March18, 1873.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, WINSLOW P. EAYRS, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Rotary Engine; and do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of referencemarked thereon making apart of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a rotary engine, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to makeand use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in whichFigure 1 is a transverse vertical section of my engine. Figs. 2 and 3are longitudinal sections of the same, and Fig. 4 is a side view of theinterior revolving wheel.

A represents an ordinary steam-cylinder for a rotary engine supported ona suitable frame, B. O is the interior revolving wheel, provided with orattached to a central shaft which passes through the heads of thecylinder A.

The wheel 0 is provided with four circumferential grooves, a a and b b,the side grooves b 12 being for the reception of sectional packing-rings d d, and the middle grooves a a formin g the steam channels. Ineach of the grooves b are placed two packing-rings, d, each ring made insections, and the sections so arranged as to break joints, as shown inFig. 4. The packing-rings d d rest upon rollers e e placed in recessesformed in the bottoms of the grooves b b. Along the center in the bottomof each groove 1) is formed a smaller groove, 1', as seen inFig. 1. Thepacking-rings d d are thrown outward against the inner surface of thecylinder A by steam passing through short transverse grooves or channelsformed on the inside of the cylinder A, and

' then through passages or channels f formed onthe inner side of eachpacking-ring, and down into the groove i. The steam filling this groovepresses the packing-rings outward, forming a steam-tight joint toprevent the steam from escaping from the steam-channels c a in thewheel. In each of the channels a are secured two cam-shaped abutments, DD, which are arranged as shown in Fig. 4--that is, the abutments in onechannel extend beyond or in front of the corresponding abutment of theother channel. In the outer surface of each abutment D, at or near thesquare end of the same, is a recess for the reception of a roller, h,which is forced outward against the inner surface of the cylinder A bysteam entering the recess under the roller through a passage, k, in theend of the abutment, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, therebypreventin g thesteam from passing by the same. The abutments might be made so as to fitclosely the interior of the cylinder, but there would be a large amountof friction and they would soon wear; but by the employment of therollers the friction is reduced to the minimum amount, and the steampacks the joint perfectly even if the surfaces should be worn. On theoutside of the cylinder are secured two valve-boxes, E and Gr, theformer of which is divided by a central longitudinal partition into twocompartments, H H. In the compartment H of the box E is hung asemicircular or segmental valve, I, through which is a passage, m, forthe entrance of the steam, and in the cylinder is a suitable aperture,through which the end of the valve may drop into one of the channels aon the wheel. J is the inlet-port for the steam into the compartment Hof the box E. The valve 1 being in the po sition shown in Fig. 2, thesteam from the port J goes through the passage m in the valve in to oneof the channels a in the wheel and pressing against the abutment infront of it, revolves the wheel until this abutment passes a passages oraperture, 1), in the cylinder, at which time the next abutment hasadvanced and turned the valve I on its pivot in the position shown bydotted lines in Fig. 3.

The steam which passed, as above described, through the valve I andturned the wheel 0, goes through the aperture p and a pipe, K, into thevalve-box G, where is hung a similar valve, I, with passage m. The steamthrows this valve down into the other steam-channel a. to operateagainst the abutments in that channel. Thus the same steam whichoperates in one channel to turn the wheel acer- I tain distance, goesthrough another valve nto the second channel to continue to revolve thewheel, and in like manner it may be used more than twice by having morethan two steam-channels in the wheel and a corresponding number ofvalves. The steam is finally exhausted through the compartment H in thebox E and exhaust-pipe L. The steam in the channel, where the valve Ioperates, exhausts through a port, 8, directly into the compartment 11,while the steam in the other channel goes through a port, 8, into thecompartment H under the valve, and thence through a passage, t, into thecompartment H. V The upper side of the passage m (or m) in the valve I(or 1) is cut out at a, so that when the valve is closed and an abutmenthas passed this end of the valve there will be a larger surface on oneside for the steam to operate against and therefore it will tip thevalve into position again for the steam to enter.

It will be noticed that all the parts of my engine are circles or partsof circles, and are arranged so as to be balanced, thereby reducing thefriction. The wheel 0 is constantly surrounded by steam, whereby thefriction of the journals or central shaft is reduced to almost nothing,thus preventing wear of these parts. The packing-rings move uponrollers,

the abutments have rollers, and the inner end of each valve may alsohave a recess with a roller, all contributing to make the engine easyrunning and not liable to get out of order.

For road-engines the rotating wheel should be, so to say, doublethat is,have additional steam-channels with abutments running in the oppositedirection, and the steam-pipes or entrances so arranged that the steamcan be thrown into either set of channels, and thereby readily reversethe engine and cause the same to run in either direction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rotary engine the wheel G provided with two or morecircumferential steam-channels, a, each having abutments D provided withpacking and rollers e and a balanced valve, constructed to operate asand for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The packing-rings 01, made in sections and placed in grooves b on therotating wheel, in combination with the rollers e, groove 1', andpassages f, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The combination. of the cylinder A, wheel 0 with grooves a and b,packing-rings d, and abutments D, the valve-boxes E G, valves I I, pipeK, and the various ports, all constructed and arranged substantially asand for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

WINSLOW P. EAYRS.

Witnesses:

O. M. ALEXANDER, Eon. F. BROWN.

